


Your Hopes, Your Devotion

by ventusproximus



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Amputation, Drugging, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Porn With Virtually No Plot, Role Reversal, Sort Of, Starscream Foiling His Own Plans, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, complicated feelings, implied established relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:54:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29237148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ventusproximus/pseuds/ventusproximus
Summary: Starscream can't pull the plug on Megatron, but that won't stop him from enjoying himself while he's temporarily in charge. That's the hope, anyway.
Relationships: Megatron/Starscream (Transformers)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Your Hopes, Your Devotion

**Author's Note:**

> For unknown reasons, my body refused to let me rest until I wrote and uploaded this. 
> 
> (Tagged as non-con since Megatron can't give/revoke consent, at least in the beginning.)

Megatron… How to describe a mech like Megatron? 

For starters, he was lying prone on a recharge slab, no more alive than the floor beneath Starscream’s feet, and hooked up to more wires than anyone cared to count. All it would take to permanently deactivate him was a false move here, a yanked cord there, and the delicate severing of his lord from the energon transfusion machines. Nothing to it, really. Not when he had everything he needed right here. 

Including an accomplice. 

“How nice of you to check on Lord Megatron every day,” Knock Out mused, tinkering with something directly beyond the field of Starscream’s vision. “I don’t think you’ve ever missed visiting hours. Not that we have any, of course.” 

_Is there a point to this small talk?_ Starscream wondered. But he let the good doctor prattle on; after all, he was being done a favor. While he’d have preferred Megatron’s spark to be quietly extinguished and the rest of him tossed over the side of the _Nemesis_ , Soundwave’s meddling forced him to resort to the next best thing. Knock Out was oh-so-carefully making sure that Megatron was far from death… Albeit, far from seeing any improvement. His current condition had remained stable for weeks now. 

“I would be a poor leader if I did not spend every possible moment at my master’s side,” Starscream said, sidling over to stand near Megatron’s inert head. “More than ever, he needs the support and devotion of his most trusted lieutenant.” Yes, that was code for “I enjoy seeing him lie comatose”, but coming from his own vocal processor, it sounded slick. 

For all his ingloriousness, Megatron did look as intimidating as ever. Someone—no doubt Breakdown—had been keeping his finish buffed to a mirror sheen. The intricate crisscross of his fuel lines were all too familiar to Starscream now, from all the time he spent studying them. And that dreadful hole in his chassis had long since been repaired, leaving nothing but a mech perfectly fit to reprise his role as the leader of the Decepticons. 

_But if he truly were fit, he wouldn’t be in this medibay, now would he?_ Still, as Starscream idly dragged a claw along the curve of Megatron’s hip, he knew there were better ways to make use of his former lord. Eventually, Soundwave would begin to grow suspicious of Knock Out’s treatment, and the Seeker would have to return to playing the role of a loyal second-in-command. This was the only time he had to do whatever he wished with Megatron, short of killing him, and all he’d done thus far was turn the former gladiator into an attractive dust collector. 

Starscream stilled his wandering hand and let it rest on a massive silver thigh. “Knock Out,” he called softly, “After some deliberation, I think a change of treatment is in order.”

“What did you have in mind, Screamer? Nothing Soundwave might hound me for, I hope.” 

“Oh, nothing of the sort,” the commander replied back, letting his optics rove over every inch of Megatron’s chassis. “Our master was a mech of action, was he not? It would be a shame if he were to simply lay here, dreaming indefinitely, when his body could be put to much better use.” There was no hiding his smile, now. 

Knock Out’s interest was piqued now, evidenced by how he’d dropped the Vehicon hand he’d been dissecting in favor of joining Starscream by the recharge slab. “Keep talking,” he said simply. 

“Don’t you think our dear Megatron would have wanted us to keep him in top form? And what better way to do that… Than to make sure he can still perform all of his necessary functions? What better volunteer for the job than me, the one closest to his throne?” 

“And those functions would include…” 

“Making sure he can still overload,” Starscream drawled. “And ingest energon without the need for medical equipment, and—” 

“Alright, you’ve made your point. And what a _filthy_ point it is. You’re going to have to sweeten the deal if you think I’m going to agree to something like that.” 

His reaction was instantaneous. “Five-hundred credits, Knock Out. Five-hundred credits for you to leave me alone with Megatron, and keep Soundwave off my cockpit.” He wasn’t about to let his chance at revenge slip away like it had done all these years.

“And you don’t think any of this is a bad idea?” 

“That is why, doctor, you’ll be removing his arms and lower legs, just in case he happens to come to— not that he will. And while you’re at it, perhaps you could inject him with some of your aphrodisiacs.” That garnered a wide-eyed stare from Knock Out. “Come on, it was obvious. We’ve all seen the way Breakdown behaves around you when he thinks no one else is around. It’s shameless.” 

The room was silent as Knock Out struggled to bring his vocal processor back to a state of cooperation. He eventually did, and irritably, he retorted, “Oh, sure, why don’t I give you everything from my stash of equipment? A stash that was meant to be kept _secret_ , I might add. What, do you want the vibrators, too?” 

“It would be nice,” Starscream shot back, not missing a beat. The more he stood here, with his fingers tapping out a rhythm against Megatron’s thigh, the more he wanted to completely unravel him. A nervous surge was already coursing through him, the surge that always told him to dive in for a clean kill. 

“Ugh, fine. Make it ten thousand credits and I’ll actually consider doing it.” 

“Deal. Make sure you lock the doors and dismiss the guards on your way out.” 

“Mmm… Actually, Starscream, I think I’d be fully convinced if you were to make it twelve thousand credits, and give me half of your energon rations for the next month. Oh, and a bottle of engex. Just something to really push me over the edge.” 

The air commander was seething, but it wasn’t altogether unreasonable. His gratification would be priceless. “You’re lucky I still have a fair bit of wealth from my more scientific days,” he muttered. “Get to work, and I’ll make sure everything you asked for will be waiting on your doorstep by tomorrow.” 

Knock Out grinned, his optics wide enough to rival the moon hanging above the _Nemesis._ He gave his fellow Decepticon a cheerful clap on the shoulder before strolling over to the console that had been giving readouts on Megatron’s condition. “Pleasure doing business with you, Screamy. Just make sure you put everything back where you found it.” 

* * *

Naturally, it took far longer to prepare than Starscream would have liked. Being the perfectly devoted commander he was, he’d patiently sat through the entire process. Knock Out had carefully pinned back the mass of cores and wires keeping Megatron alive, giving Starscream just enough space to work with. He’d wanted a close-up look of the impromptu surgery, but the doctor had shooed him away, claiming that the Seeker’s wings were in his way. 

Seeing all four of Megatron’s limbs piled into a corner was satisfying enough, however. Starscream was almost disappointed by how clean and precise each amputation was, but it was a necessary evil. Knock Out would have to reattach them all once the commander finished up his business here. The Decepticon lord was already outfitted in every vibrator that the two of them could fit on him, organized neatly along his thighs, chest, and interface array. Starscream insisted on being the one to strap the pill-shaped instruments into place and switch them on.

When they were finally finished, Knock Out vented deeply. “There,” he said, pressing a small purple-pink vial into Starscream’s clawed hands. “He’s ready for… Whatever it is you want to do with him. Just pour the aphrodisiac down his intake and give it a couple minutes. You’ll know it’s working when you see it.” 

“Excellent, doctor,” said Starscream, already shaking with anticipation. 

“Just don’t overdo it, alright? That stuff can wake the dead. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to keep a certain someone _distracted_.” The medic made for the door then stopped, leaning an arm up against the doorframe. “Call me when you’ve had your fun,” he added before leaving Starscream locked in with his own devices.

The power alone was too much. Starscream could have ridden the high of seeing Megatron laid out for him like a cache of energon cubes for centuries to come. He could have called Knock Out back then and there, because this moment alone had been well worth the cost. 

He could have, but he wasn’t going to. 

In a flash he was back at Megatron’s side, leaning over his face and uncorking the aphrodisiac. The vial was disappointingly small, only around the size of his palm. So as he used his thumb and index finger to pry and hold Megatron’s mouth open, he poured the whole thing down the mech’s intake without giving it a second thought. Then came the dreaded waiting. Starscream managed to wait all of ten seconds before abandoning the endeavor.

Under the most well-trained optic, Megatron truly looked no different. But as Starscream stood by the berth, tapping his chin in thought, it dawned on him. If _anything_ about the larger mech were to change, it would be below the surface. He leaned over the prone body and made a grab for the panel covering Megatron’s interface array. It clicked open quite easily at the Seeker’s bidding, revealing a spike that was pressurizing right in front of him. 

Once again, his credits proved to have been well-spent. Starscream circled around his lord, wanting to get a better view. He couldn’t hold back the gasp of delight that slipped out from between his lips. Megatron’s array was already slick with lubricant, as if anticipating Starscream’s arrival. 

“Pleased to see me, Master?” The slender mech chuckled, gliding his fingertips along the length of the spike. Heat came off it in intoxicating waves. Each gentle curve brought back memories of the times Starscream had been on the receiving end. Times when he’d been the one laid bare, reduced to swallowing his own pride while Megatron bore into his very spark. “I always knew you loved me best.” 

Starscream began his ascent. He stomped one elegantly-heeled foot onto the recharge slab, then hoisted himself up to stand in the space between Megatron’s thighs. “You’re even more handsome from this angle,” he remarked while nudging the other’s valve with a pointed toe. From there he stepped onto his stomach, making sure to grind his heel into each plate of armor he passed over. _So much for that buffed finish_. It was at Megatron’s collar that he stopped and dropped to a kneel, opening his own interface panel with practiced ease. 

He would’ve liked his old master to have been online for this, to have him run his tongue along every fold and node of Starscream’s crease, but reality was always harsh. Starscream situated himself on Megatron’s face, and braced his thighs against either side of the mech’s helm. He started slowly at first, grinding his valve against the permanent scowl that comprised Megatron’s mouth. The friction alone made the commander’s wings spread and rise toward the ceiling. Soft whimpers and the sounds of clinking metal soon filled the air, alongside the steady droning of the vibrators. 

Picking up the pace meant Starscream would need something to hold onto. Megatron’s neck was the obvious choice. He reached behind his back and clutched the thick bundle of fuel lines keeping his leader’s body attached. Surely Knock Out would have no trouble making repairs if Starscream were to sever a few? Surely he could un-wring a wrung strut? No problem. All he had to do right now was focus on his own pleasure, enjoy the subtle heat of the energon flowing just underneath his claws, and the low, ragged venting against his valve…

Starscream froze. Megatron hadn’t been venting before. He hadn’t been _moving_. 

Loath though he was to do it, Starscream looked down. A crimson optic was staring up at him. Out of sheer reflex he scrambled backward, leaving a streak of lubricant and transfluid across Megatron’s face. His voice broke with no hope of disguising it. 

“Master, you’re online.” The need for an overload overrode his ability to fabricate a good lie. “I missed our moments alone together.” 

Megatron’s voice came in slow fragments, between heavy vents. “I can see that, Starscream.” His lord’s fans were already trying to compensate for the aphrodisiac’s effects. “We’ll be spending plenty of time together while I instill the proper amount of fear back into you.” 

Trembling, Starscream attempted to keep Megatron pinned down against the berth. “Please, my lord,” he begged, half-sincere. Even with the odds in his favor, he felt like a helpless protoform. “You’ll sever your connection to the life support machines if you move too suddenly.” 

The armor plates below Starscream relaxed, but Megatron’s voice was still dripping in venom. “Tell me something.” There was a deliberate pause. 

“Yes, Master?” 

“Do removing my limbs and using my body as your own personal self-service machine constitute ‘life support’?” 

This exchange had already overstayed its welcome. Megatron couldn’t hurt him now, not like this. Megatron couldn’t even _touch_ him unless he willed it. Starscream repeated those truths to himself until he could find it in himself to believe them. Once he’d done that, he slid further down Megatron’s body, until he comfortably straddled the mech’s massive waist. 

“My liege,” He began, reaching around to stroke his leader’s spike. “You misunderstand. Given how dire of a state you were in, it was necessary for us—for _me_ —to ensure all of your systems could function properly.” 

“And the _limbs_?” His tone of voice made the Seeker squirm. 

“They were in the worst state of all. Knock Out temporarily removed them in order to make additional repairs while I tested your most essential functions.” Picking up the pace, Starscream gave the spike a few rough pumps. 

The deception was working, for how shoddy it was. Megatron’s focus was breaking. He was left with no choice but to surrender to the whims of his most prized subordinate. Starscream gently shushed him when he attempted to say more on the matter of his extremities. 

“The doctor will reattach them soon, Master,” The commander murmured. “But before any of that, it is my duty to continue running tests.” The mess of hot fluid coating his hands told him that Megatron was near to overloading. As did his optics, which were flickering and trying to no avail to remain open. 

“Head module and intake functioning were optimal,” Starscream continued, mostly to enjoy the sound of his own voice. “Just to double check…” He briefly let go of Megatron’s spike (earning him an irritable groan) and leaned over to give him a kiss. His master didn’t kiss back; he wouldn’t even relax his clenched jaw. Not that it mattered, really. The wetness of his mouth and the potent burn of his humiliation were gratifying enough. 

“Perfect.” Starscream’s voice came off as a whine. “Now, back to testing your spike function.” He turned and crawled over to the body part in question, making sure to arch his back and give Megatron a nice view. Beads of transfluid were already rolling off its tip. As he dipped his head down to kiss it, he noticed one of the vibrators he’d lovingly strapped to the mech’s inner thigh. Without a second thought, he cranked the dial to its highest speed. 

“Starscream,” Megatron growled. The endless twitching and flexing of his thighs betrayed his anger. 

“Yes?” Starscream broke away from his kisses just long enough to humor him with a reply. 

“I’ll have your wings mounted on my wall for this.” 

“Please be patient, Master. I know being slabridden is unpleasant for us all, but I do this only out of concern for you.” Megatron was beginning his overload. He’d seen it countless times before, but never quite like this. Under normal circumstances, Megatron would be overloading into him, filling his valve until he couldn’t even walk to the washracks on his own. Starscream couldn’t help but smile upon seeing his high and mighty lord spill transfluid all over himself. 

“Fortunately for the both of us, your spike is just fine.” He turned his smile on Megatron. “There’s the Master I’ve known and loved all these years.” He slid off the mech, landing gracefully on his feet and turning to stand at the foot of the recharge slab. 

Megatron, straining, rose just far enough to glare at his commander. “All these years you’ve loved me, and I’ve failed to teach you a single thing about humility. You’ve failed to learn your proper place.” Despite everything, he could still boast. It made Starscream’s spark shudder. 

“My place, my liege,” Starscream began, reaching over to stroke the node directly above Megatron’s valve, “Is right here, where I can take care of you. Nobody, not even our very own medic, knows your body as well as I do. It’s only fitting this way.” 

It was then that Megatron closed his thighs, clamping Starscream’s wrist between them. The movement made the smaller mech jolt and attempt to pull his arm back, to no avail. “You’ve done enough, Starscream. Summon the doctor now, and I’ll settle for maiming instead of outright killing you.” 

The lord of the Decepticons himself, reduced to bargaining with his underling? Dreams did come true after all. But keeping both of his arms intact was more important, so he wiped the grin from his face. In spite of all of Starscream’s precautions, Megatron still had the power to harm his commander in new and different ways. 

“I’m afraid I cannot yet do that, Master. Not until I run the final test,” He lied. “Were I to call him now…” Primus, he just wanted Megatron to cave in already. “Er, seeing you in your current state, he would demand for the test to be run anyway. He may even take it upon himself. Medical opinions, unfortunately, cannot be swayed.” Far from his best lie, but he sealed it with an artificially sympathetic look. 

Megatron vented harshly. “You’re right, Starscream. I’d hate for another one of my lieutenants to see me this way.” He tightened his grip on the Seeker’s arm until he could hear the popping of a fuel line or two. The trapped mech skittered in place wildly, nearly losing his balance in the process. 

“I—” Starscream was fighting back the urge to give up his arm in exchange for temporary freedom. “It pains me to see you this way as well, my lord.” He straightened his posture, planted his heels into the floor, and aimed his missile launchers directly at Megatron. “Nevertheless, you are under my care for the moment, and I refuse to let you risk your own health.” 

“You think you can take _me_ offline? Spare me the boasts.” 

“If I must, I will. And while the good doctor is performing additional repairs, Optimus Prime will continue to elude your grasp. His head will continue to _not_ be on a pike. Is that truly what you want, my dearest Master?” The pain made his voice squeak. 

To their mutual surprise, Megatron relaxed. Starscream pulled his hand away, examining and flexing his fingers as his leader watched his every move. It wasn’t the usual glare of disappointment, no. It was the look Megatron had in his optics when he’d set his spark on wanting something. It was almost as if— 

_Oh, right. Knock Out said to give it a few minutes._ The aphrodisiac must have taken time to make the journey up to Megatron’s brain module. It must’ve been hard to find, too, for how small and underused it was.

“Starscream,” Megatron groaned, dragging the commander away from his thoughts. Anger still loomed in his tone, but it was subdued. 

“Master,” Starscream echoed. He was going to make him beg for it. 

“Finish me off.” 

“With pleasure.” _Finally_. 

The smaller mech climbed back onto the recharge slab, pleased to see that Megatron was already spreading his legs—what remained of them—to accommodate him. Starscream knelt between them and ran his fingertips around the edge of the other’s valve. He slid two fingers in, one after another, and curled them upward until Megatron’s spinal strut began to arch and rise off the berth. A mech as large as him didn’t need preparation, especially not when he was already dripping lubricant. Starscream’s purpose for all this was merely to watch his lord squirm before giving in to his demands. Every time he managed to force a moan out of Megatron, he leaned in, just to make sure his audio receptors picked up every last word. 

“Star…” 

No point in waiting for him to form the last syllable. “At your service,” Starscream hissed back, now four claws deep. 

Megatron was quiet for a long time after that, leaving the violent whirring of his fans as the only indication that he was still online. Starscream was hitting every node he could reach, stroking every ridge. 

“No need for words, Master. After the millions of years we’ve shared together, I know exactly what you want of me.” Strung together, each word tasted better than the finest engex. The sound Megatron’s vocal processor made when Starscream pulled out was better than any single moment he’d ever experienced. By his hand, Megatron had become so vulnerable, so incredibly broken. 

“Shhh,” Starscream interrupted, trying to quiet his own thundering fuel pump as well as his lord. Fear of retribution still dizzied him, even as he took hold of Megatron’s hips and moved his own into position. Megatron wasn’t his to take; it would always be the other way around. 

But he was, just for today. Megatron himself wished for it. Ever the loyal servant, Starscream was happy to move mountains for him. Happy to bury his spike as deep as it would go. He even let his lord set the pace this time, which turned out to be every bit as rough and frantic as it was when their positions had been reversed. 

For all the good the aphrodisiac had done, it couldn’t soften the Lord of Destruction entirely. Each thrust was made torturously intense by how Megatron’s valve squeezed Starscream, paired with the obscene amounts of lubricant dripping from each mech. Both of them were steadily approaching overload, though Starscream was hesitant to end things so soon. Holding his master down with both hands, he pulled out just far enough to leave the tip of his spike resting against the valve. 

Megatron hissed through grit teeth. “Come back,” he said. “Before I—”

“Before you deactivate me, my liege? You’ll have to make a full recovery before you can do that.” The Seeker smirked as Megatron furiously ground his hips against him. “Though I sincerely hope you find it within yourself to spare my spark.” He reared back, fully out of the mech’s reach for a single precious moment, then dove back in, ramming against Megatron’s ceiling node. Ecstasy flooded every last one of his processors, coinciding with the klaxon indicating that the patient’s vital signs were far beyond normal parameters. He could even feel the rumbling of Megatron’s voice box as he failed to hold back his own primal roars. 

The fierce heat of Megatron’s second overload made Starscream’s wings tremble. Purple-tinted transfluid sprayed across the brilliant silver of the mech’s chassis, creating a portrait that was, to say the least, undignified for someone of his stature. The time had not yet come for Megatron to rest, however. Starscream had an overload of his own, and made it known by continuing to weakly frag his lord’s relaxing frame. 

Overloading directly inside of Megatron was virtually a death sentence, but repercussions couldn’t have been further from Starscream’s mind. Instead he was focusing on the final soft snarls coming from his master, and the sublime little twitches he made despite doing his best to ignore the overstimulation of the vibrators. He released while calling out Megatron’s designation, too preoccupied with his own pleasure to address him as “Lord” or “Master” for once. As he waited for his systems to ride out the last of his overload, Starscream took a deep intake of air and shut his optics. This was how it always should have been: Starscream spilling every last drop of his transfluid into Megatron’s valve, and Megatron being helpless to stop it. 

Well, it was fun while it lasted. In an act of mercy, he pulled out and bent over Megatron, turning each vibrator off without actually removing them. He simply looked too good with them on. When that task was done, he stretched across the length of Megatron’s body and smothered his face in kisses. The mech naturally resisted, but Starscream had the hands to hold him in place, and he lacked the hands to keep him away.

“Call Knock Out,” Megatron ordered. When his commander merely ignored him, he took to reciprocating the kisses—but only to bite and snap at every part of Starscream he could reach. Pain was a language that Starscream was very fluent in. 

“Ah, very well, Master. I’m sure the good doctor will be most pleased to see you’ve passed all the examinations. And I’m sure he’ll be doubly pleased to see that you’ve come back online!” Starscream languidly rose off of Megatron and hopped off the recharge slab, letting his smile melt away the moment his back was turned on his master. Knock Out responded to his open comm link almost immediately, in an act of desperation that was especially uncharacteristic of the normally unhurried mech. 

“Please tell me you’re done in there already,” the medic said. 

“Precisely why I called. Lord Megatron has shown incredible resilience...” Starscream answered, throwing a glance at the bot in question. “...And should be ready to receive your expert medical advice.” 

“Good, good. Soundwave was _not_ easy to convince, by the way. He threatened to bring the Vehicons in to storm _my_ lab if I didn’t give him proof that Megatron still lives. In fact…” Starscream could hear the other mech shifting around over the line. “Here, Soundwave. You can hear it straight from the source.” 

The air commander rolled his optics. The loyal ones were always the most irritating. “Soundwave,” he greeted. “I’m sure you’ve been as concerned as we are over our Master’s current state. While I _could_ recount to you all the little details about my visit with him, or regale you with his swift recovery, I think I’ll let him speak for himself.” 

“Starscream, this is hardly the time for jokes,” Knock Out retorted. His voice was trembling a little, the Seeker noticed. It was fair to assume that Soundwave was serious about his attempt to storm the lab, and was currently holding the doctor over the edge of the _Nemesis_ by his legs. 

Without the slightest hint of urgency, the flight frame was already strutting back to the berth where Megatron lay. He made damn sure to exaggerate every last sway of his hips, clearly within the larger mech’s field of vision. “Who said anything about jokes?” Starscream shot back, feigning offense. He knelt to be eye-level with Megatron, whose glare could have snuffed the spark of a lesser mech. “Master, Knock Out and Soundwave are on the line. Would you be so generous as to inform them of your current condition?” 

“I thought you’d never ask, Starscream,” Megatron countered. No mech, Autobot or otherwise, could deny that the Decepticon leader recovered quickly. His fans had already quieted down. His voice held only the slightest hints of exhaustion and lingering desire. 

“At this moment, I could not be further from death. You have the diligence of my commander to thank for my sudden and unexpected coming online, for without him, it could have been quite some time before I found the strength to reclaim my place on the throne. Rest assured that as soon as I rise from this slab, I will be rewarding Starscream accordingly.” Megatron turned his head away from Starscream when he was finished, and vented just softly enough to not be within earshot of the other lieutenants. 

“There you have it,” Starscream said brightly. “I trust you’ll be here at once, Knock Out?” 

His partner in crime was speechless. Between Soundwave and Megatron, it would have meant certain death if he were to say it aloud, but his unspoken question to Starscream was still horribly obvious. _Why the frag was Megatron online?_

“Knock Out?” Starscream tried again. 

“Er… Why, yes, of course. I’ll be there faster than ol’ Soundwave here can blink an optic.” Abruptly, Knock Out hung up. 

“Hmph, land frames. No sense of urgency,” Starscream grumbled, turning to his present company. “Do you truly have a reward for me, Master? Surely I do not require a reward simply for doing my job—” 

“Oh, I insist. After all you’ve done for me, it would be a crime not to show my most valued officer how much I care.” 

Starscream shivered, which earned him a razor-sharp grin from Megatron. He’d accounted for everything, and still failed to completely get away with his plans. The only thing left to do now was hope Megatron either fool enough to believe some of his truths, or merciful enough to mete out his usual brand of punishment. 

Megatron began chuckling. Hooked up to life support and put in one of the most humiliating positions of his entire existence, and the mech could still find a way to laugh at Starscream’s misfortune. “What’s the matter?” he teased. “I’ve never known you to shy away from praise, little Seeker.” 

“You have much catching up to do, my liege. Surely this matter can wait?” Starscream pleaded. Megatron was really laughing now. 

“Would I truly be lord of the Decepticon cause if I could not even make time for my own trusted advisors? Make no mistake, Starscream.” With a jerk of his head, he mockingly beckoned the slender bot over. “Sit with me while we wait.” 

Resignedly, Starscream trudged back to the berth, and perched on the very edge, between Megatron’s shoulder and helm. It was still nice to be able to look down on him, even if the power was no longer in his claws. 

“Mm,” Megatron rumbled. He sounded far too pleased for someone who was immobilized. “I’ll visit you in your own personal chambers this time, to ensure you don’t forget to claim your reward.” 

“I cannot thank you enough, dearest Master.” 

Starscream folded his hands, placed them neatly in his lap, and hoped to Primus that Knock Out could somehow find a way to impede Megatron. While he was at it, he also hoped to Primus that Soundwave would someday trip and fall into a pit of hungry Terrorcons. Those thoughts would be the only thing to console him as he waited.

As it turned out, trying to daydream his problems away was especially difficult with Megatron there. Megatron, who appeared to be trying to burn holes in Starscream’s chassis with his optics. Megatron, whose voice penetrated every corner of Starscream’s central processor and demanded nothing short of undivided attention. The content of his words didn’t matter to Starscream. In the end they all had the same meaning: 

_I own you, Starscream._

Eventually Knock Out arrived, looking like he’d seen his own paint job chip before his optics. He shooed Starscream out of the room like he was nothing more than a common pest, but not before the medic got a few sharp words in. 

“You could have at least dressed him down and closed his panel before letting me take over,” Knock Out whispered to him. “Just try not to forget about our agreement while he’s giving you the lashing of a lifetime.” On that note, he promptly sealed the door behind him. 

So there Starscream stood, left with nothing but a few precious hours to pay for his stunt. If he was lucky, he could at least start his recharge cycle before Megatron paid him a visit. 

Hopefully the Vehicon guards didn’t notice the way he was quaking as he walked.

* * *

Dim light from the ship’s corridors flooded Starscream’s hab suite when Megatron finally came. It glinted off his silver chassis and formed a halo that made the commander’s fuel pump thunder—not that it hadn’t already been. He was quick enough at wiring his rations to Knock Out that he’d had plenty of time to physically prepare for this. But for better or worse his body refused to recharge, and every precious moment up to this point had been spent waiting for his lord to open his door. On pure instinct, Starscream bolted upright and slid to the very edge of his berth, with his legs folded beneath him. 

“Don’t act so pleased to see me,” Megatron snarled, fixing his gaze on Starscream’s face. He wasted no time in stepping over the threshold and crossing the room to stand at the foot of the recharge slab. “I’m sure our last few hours apart have been _agonizing_ for you.” 

“They have been.” For once, Starscream was telling nothing short of the truth. The pathetic, feeble truth. It felt as if his voice were breaking at every other word. “Please be gentle, Master.” 

To say that Megatron scoffed would be an understatement. What he did was laugh aloud, the amusement in his optics so obvious that it made the energon in Starscream’s fuel lines burn. “ _Gentle?_ You’re using words that have no meaning among Decepticons.” He crossed his arms, which had been reattached as cleanly as if they’d never been severed at all, behind his spinal strut. “If you’ll recall for the moment, I am here with the intent of rewarding you for your…” 

The Lord of Destruction paused to smirk. Starscream was shaking so much now that his wings were clattering against the bulkhead. In a few fluid motions, he gripped the Seeker by the shoulders and held him fast. 

“Devotion,” Megatron finished. 

“I remember,” Starscream lamented, shrinking under the pressure Megatron was putting on his armor plating. 

“It was with deepest regret that I noticed you had brought me to the point of overload twice.” 

Megatron’s ensuing silence left Starscream with no choice but to continue talking, despite his need to shut off as many of his systems as possible and pretend this wasn't happening. “It was for the good of our cause, Master.” 

“You misunderstand. As horribly misguided as your attempts to help me were, they were nonetheless noted and taken for what they were: attempts to help me. No, what brought on this remorse was that you only overloaded once. Am I correct?” 

“Yes,” Starscream conceded, struggling to maintain the illusion of control over his vocal processor. 

“ _Master._ ” 

“Yes, Master.” 

“Good,” Megatron boomed. “That was what I came here to amend.” He seized Starscream by the waist and gathered him up in his arms before sitting down on the berth. At once his claws roved over his commander’s chest plate, stopping more than once to hover on the Deceptibrand emblazoned on its center. Starscream stiffly waited for the searing pain. Yet seconds passed and none came, only the all-too-familiar sensation of Megatron’s body against his own. One of his hands came to slide up against his neck and press the Seeker’s head back against him. It earned him a gasp from Starscream, whose fans were already expectantly kicking in. 

The Decepticon lord snickered humorlessly at Starscream’s helplessness, and leaned down to press the side of his helm to his subordinate’s own. Warmth bloomed where Megatron vented against his cheek. 

“Don’t say I’ve never been generous to you, Starscream.”


End file.
